Look at this goodie bag! (Okay, the cat did not come from Fitness magazine.)

Hey There! Hi There Ho There!

Today is quick post going up because I am leaving for a week-long business trip coming up and am not going to be able to Blog very much whilst I am gone.

But fear not–I will be back very soon and will have a super, duper giveaway to offer on the 99th (!) Vlog episode to go live October 26th.

So what’s so great about the next giveaway? Well they will just happen to be a few select items from the goodie bag I received at the Fitness Magazine “Meet & Tweet” NYC Event. Honestly this event kicks ass every year and I always leave completely astonished at how much STUFF we get to take home! Sneakers from Hoka One One, skin care from Dermalogica, gear from Eddie Bauer and so much more.

In fact, there is so much great merchandise here that I am sharing the wealth via my next Vlog post so hang on to your knickers and get ready to win something special!

When I get back from my trip I will give you the lowdown of the “Meet & Tweet” but in the meantime, please enjoy these photos:

Selfie with Fitness Editor in Chief Betty Wong (Hi Betty!)

My lovely friend Toni from “Running, Living, Loving”

My coolest friend “Namaste Mari” et moi

I got a hug from Carla Hall of “Top Chef” and “The Chew”

That’s all I have right now. I will still be tweeting, Facebooking and Instagramming like a fool and won’t be completely off the grid. See you all soon! (I am sorry the font is different here, damn WordPress!!!)

(If you are reading this on a different site or a different feed than Brooklyn Fit Chick, it has been taken without permission.)

The impossibly stunning host of Bravo’s Top Chef graces the cover of the November/December issue and she gives fitness the inside dirt on her dining career. While filming episodes of the top-rated culinary series the former model admits that all of the sampling and tasting can cause her to gain 15 pounds per season. So how does she take it off when filming is done? She follows a clean diet meaning “no meats, no sweets, no alcohol, no cheese, no fried foods, no wheat.”

Padma also talks about staying fit for her three year-old daughter and shares her own recipe for spinach and plum salad. (Nom nom!)

“Shortcut to a Sexy Back”

The very blonde and very shimmery Tracy Anderson (trainer of Gwyneth Paltrow among other glamazons) offers this pretty cool workout to help get your back and rear get in shape. (Be prepared to use light weights and do high reps!)

“Bright Ideas”

Is everyone ready for a fun, colorful holiday gift guide? Me, me me! (I want that “Queen of the Mountain Jacket” from Athleta if anyone out there cares to know. Anyone, anyone?)

“Go With the Flow”

Celebrity trainer Brett Hoebel (The Biggest Loser, Season 11) is a big fan of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira (I only know that from interviewing him for Fit Bottomed Girls!) Here he offers slight adjustments to those very dance-y/boxer-y moves to help get you in fighting shape.

And now the rest of this issue of Fitness:

“Outrun Danger” Yikes! Be careful people! You can be a top athlete (like triathlete Jenny Fletcher featured in this story) and have blood clot issues. Here we get tips on the symptoms of blood clots and how to prevent them.

“Pay Fit Forward” Awwww, these stories of fit women inspiring one another to get healthy made me really happy.

“Rise and Shine!” One year ago I committed to getting more sleep every night and it has changed my life. Fitness offers their own tips and advice on how to get a few more ZZZ’s.

Overall Grade:

A- Can’t wait to see you all in 2014! (Oh no—is it that just around the corner?!)